This application claims priority of pending Swedish Patent Application No. 0002058-6 filed on May 31, 2000.
The present invention concerns a brake caliper and a brake mechanism for a disc brake. The brake mechanism is received in said caliper. The caliper is furnished with an opening for receiving a bearing bracket of the brake mechanism.
The brake mechanism according to the present invention is primarily intended for a heavy road vehicle but may quite as well be used for a lighter road vehicle or a rail vehicle.
It is previously known to furnish a brake caliper having a cover attached from the outside. See e.g. WO 96/12 900. The brake mechanism is held together as a unit during assembly. In this type of caliper there where problems concerning the sealing of the cover etc.
To improve the above concept a closed caliper was developed in which the brake unit is mounted from the other side as compared to the above caliper having a cover. See e.g. DE,C,195 15 063. This solution may give difficulties concerning strength of the bearing cages, assembly of the brake mechanism and machining of the caliper.
One object of the present invention is to avoid the problems of the above disc brakes according to the prior art.
This is done according to the invention by furnishing the caliper with an opening in the wall furthest from the brake disc. Thus, the caliper will have an open design and is in this description referred to as an open caliper. A bearing bracket is mounted from the inside of the caliper in said opening.
By having a bearing bracket placed in an opening of the caliper it is possible to have a stronger bearing design and it is possible to make the bearing bracket of a different material. The bearing bracket gives a stiffening of the caliper design. As the gearing of the adjuster mechanism is placed as one unit in the bearing bracket it is easier to have high precision in the gears, compared to if the gears are placed in different units. Machining of the caliper may be done through the opening of the caliper, which is beneficial. Furthermore, the bearing bracket provides for improved parallel setting of the thrust units at assembly, simplified mounting in the caliper, and simplified maintenance. Pre-assembly of different parts with the bearing bracket to one unit gives higher quality for different functions, including synchronism, adjustment mechanism and force amplification.
One function of the bearing bracket is to take up the reaction clamp force of the brake mechanism and transmitting it to the caliper.
The brake mechanism of the present invention is preferably pneumatically actuated, but it may also be hydraulically or electrically actuated.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be obvious for a person skilled in the art from reading the description below.